Welcome To Mifflin Street
by SinginPrincess
Summary: Henry convinces his mom to meet and welcome their "mysterious" new neighbor. (Set in Storybrooke some time after 3B when things have calmed down and both CS & OQ are long over)
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: **written for wolfandkoala who responded to a meme by asking for Swan Queen + New Neighbors. Unedited so I apologize for any mistakes. Enjoy!_

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><p>She's pulling the freshly baked apple pie out of the oven when the front door slams shut. She decides not to scold him this time, knowing full well how uncharacteristically lenient she's been with him the past few weeks, but he's back in her life now and it means so much to her that the trivial things seem less important. She hears him call out for her, that three letter word making her heart swell and tugging her lips into a smile. She calls back to him and soon he's running into the kitchen. His shoes are still on and she gives him a mildly scolding look to which he bites his lip before panting out a timid apology. He doesn't move to rectify his mistake, however. Instead he's hunched down, hands on his knees as he tries to catch his breath, so she silently offers him a glass of water which he accept gratefully before practically downing it in one gulp. She suppresses the urge to roll her eyes, <em>one year with his blonde mother has surely affected him<em>.

She doesn't ask him about what had him in such a rush nor why he seems to be so excited, but rather waits with her arms crossed and a raised brow for him to tell her. He catches the hint quite quickly as he straightens up and sets his glass down on the counter. "Someone's finally moved into Miss Bleakly's old home, right across the street!"

She had indeed noticed the small U-Haul outside the old home, it had been up for sale for several months now, ever since the elderly woman had opted to move in with her new-found lover. She hadn't, however, known that the place had finally sold, let alone to whom, so she is quite curious herself. Though why her son is so excited by the prospect of a new neighbor is quite the mystery. "And?" she questions cautiously, masking her own curiosity with a somewhat disinterested tone.

"_And_ we should go see who it is! Like a welcome to the neighborhood thing!" He exclaims excitedly, bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet.

She doesn't answer, simply chooses to study him silently, her brow still cocked in question. There is more to this story, she suspects, he's wearing that wide eyed wonder that typically graces his features when he's hit a breakthrough on one of his infamous 'operations'. The problem is, if there is a new operation underway, and she suspects now that there is, she hasn't a clue as to the context of it. So she says nothing, forcing him to let out a defeated huff as his shoulders relax, further displaying his exasperation.

"Come on mom, you're the mayor, mayors do that, right? They want all their constituents to love them, or at least vote for them again, or like… I don't know…" he's just barely keeping himself from whining, knowing how improper such actions are. He's still a child though, no matter how intelligent and well mannered, and there's that hint of a whine laced within his desperate words and those beautiful hazel eyes of his. But she knows that look, she knows that he's aware of the affect it has on her, and although she knows she will most likely succumb, she won't do it without making him work for it.

Oh, and does he ever. His eyes grow wide and just a little watery, his lips forming a pout as he tilts his head to the side before softly pleading, "Please mommy." He's older now, the look slowly losing some of it's charm and the worst part is that he knows that, knows that she often manages to resist it but not quite as often lately as she had before her curse was broken all that time ago. Manipulative boy as he is, he doesn't miss much, which is clearly why he's unnecessarily addressed her as 'mommy', because he hasn't done that since he was eight and decided he was too old to use the term.

It works, of course. She shakes her head in feigned disapproval, because as hard as it is to deal with the boy at times, she can't help but be proud of his persuasive techniques. "Fine." she sighs, "I was making this for dessert," she gestures toward the fresh pie, "but I suppose that now it shall be used as our welcoming gift to our new neighbor."

He makes a small disgruntled noise, knowing this means that he won't be having dessert tonight, but he does nothing more in protest, which in itself is quite interesting.

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><p>She's not quite sure how, but they do make it to their neighbor's door together. He'd been practically jumping out of his skin in his excitement on the walk over, so much so that she's amazed that he didn't sprint ahead of her the moment they reached the other side of the road. He looks up to her, one finger raised to ring the bell, and only when she nods in approval does he press his skin to the button. He grins up at her and shoves his hands in his pockets, rocking back and forth in his impatience.<p>

When the sound of a lock turning reaches their ears, he straightens, hands still in his pockets, and she lifts the pie up slightly as she plasters on a politician's smile. The door swings open then, revealing a mess of long blond locks over a woman clad in jeans and a white tank top. Their new neighbor's face brightens when she lays eyes upon her visitors. She parts her lips, ready to greet her guests, but of course, a certain brunette beats her to it.

"Miss Swan?" It comes out as more of an accusation than a question, which just manages to surprise both the blonde and their son, but she does nothing to rectify it. She vaguely registers her son's birth mother choke out a timid, questioning "hi", which, had she been paying proper attention to, might remind her of their first meeting, as the puzzle pieces fall into place. Realization dawns on her as she stares into the other woman's blue-green orbs and she tightens her jaw to keep from cursing them all. _This is why Henry was so excited, he knew. S_he shoots him a look and he simply shrugs innocently before quickly looking away. She turns her attention back to the blonde and instead of lashing out she settles for a retort that falls somewhere between muttering and chastising (which somehow manages to feel more threatening than yelling). "I know we've all been getting along seemingly better these days, but I swear, if those two idiots have taken it upon themselves to become our new irritating, cheery, half-witted neighbors I'll —"

"Woah," the blonde cuts her off, hands raised in defense, just in time to stop the mayor from dropping the pie and conjuring a few fireballs in its stead. "Regina, relax, my parents aren't here, it's just me."

"You're saying that this hasn't now become the Charming residence, correct?" the mayor asks carefully, narrowing her eyes at the blonde.

"Yep. Definitely not the Charming residence. Promise." She grins a little sheepishly, hands still raised in the defensive position until the queen's posture relaxes (as subtle as the change may be), at which point she lets her arms fall back limply at her sides.

"Ah. You're here then to assist the new inhabitants, I take it?" It's less of a question than it is a statement, and it's absent the typical condescension that would normally accompany such a phrase. "Always the white knight," she adds, her tone a little softer, as though it were a thought she hadn't intended to say aloud.

"Nope." The Savior answers childishly, smirking at the apparent confusion on the brunette's face. "Well… actually…" her smirk falters and her brows furrow as she tries to work through it, "technically, yeah, I guess you're right… but not really… I mean—"

"Miss Swan." the queen warns.

She clears her throat then and pushes back her hair as she blushes "right, sorry." She pushes back another lock of blonde hair before straightening her posture and regaining her composure. "But I'm not just helping," her confidence visibly grows as she notes that she's peaked the mayor's interest, "I'm moving in. Welcome to the Swan residence, your majesty." She's smirking again as Regina's lips part ever so slightly in surprise, which only boosts her ego so she takes the opportunity to bend into a mock bow.

"But how did you afford such an estate on your own?" She can't help but ask, it's much larger than anything she'd expect the blonde to choose and she knows her salary at the Sheriff's station couldn't possibly cover it.

"Isn't it obvious?" Henry finally decides to join the conversation, and oh, she will most certainly be having a talk with him later tonight about all the secrecy and this whole situation. "She's the Savior!"

Emma chuckles at that before explaining, "well, yeah, the Savior thing didn't hurt, it got me a pretty good discount, actually. Not enough to buy the place on my salary, though. I'm surprised you'd forget, Madame Mayor."

"I'm afraid I don't follow."

"Well, once upon a time, a powerful queen cast a spell, granting her son and his_gorgeous, totally awesome_ birth mother new memories and an incredibly loaded savings account." She's beaming like a child on Christmas as she retells a tale they're all far too familiar with, albeit with a playful, ridiculous twist. But Regina can't fault her for it because unfortunately (yet fortunately for the blonde), Emma happens to share quite a few features and expressions with their son, which is all too clear in this moment.

"Well then, _princess_, welcome to Mifflin street." She smiles as she hands the apple pie to their new neighbor.

Emma then proceeds to usher them into her new home, looking forward to the night to come; all smiles and excitement with a hint of banter with her son's other mother. And, of course, some hot cocoa to compliment the mouth watering pastry.

As Regina makes her way into the foyer, she fails to ignore the warmth that swells within her. Emma Swan living across the street, now that, she could certainly live with, especially considering how close Henry would be to her, even on his nights with his birth mother.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: **Due to popular demand and a need to get over some writer's block through some family cuteness, I have opted to continue this fic. Now, don't expect some epic tale or anything, it'll continue this stupidly cute tone throughout, at least that's the plan. Knowing me it'll be hard to maintain. Anyways, enjoy! And do consider leaving a review :)_

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><p>"Do you feel it wholly necessary to finish it all in one night, Miss Swan?"<p>

The blonde throws a confused frown in the mayor's direction, to which the brunette responds by simply gesturing toward the piece of pie the younger woman had just placed on her plate. Emma smiles sheepishly at that, her cheeks tinted a light pink before she shrugs and pulls the plate onto her lap. Regina continues to stare for a long moment as the younger woman devours the pastry, though deep down she's not entirely unhappy with how enamored the other woman is with her treat. Four pieces is more than a compliment, however, it's incredibly unhealthy and how on earth the younger woman manages to keep her figure with such bad eating habits is beyond her. She decides against making any additional comments, instead opting to check her wrist watch for the time. She's shocked, to say the least, when she realizes that it's past two in the morning.

"Well," she starts, "I suppose it's time we leave." She smoothes away the creases on her slacks before standing. "It's well past his bedtime, I'm afraid. I hadn't realized just how late we'd stayed."

Emma scrambles quickly, setting her plate aside before practically jumping to her feet. "Do you really have to go? I mean, I'm not even done my piece of pie. Besides, the kid's already fast asleep." She gestures toward the boy, who is indeed asleep, albeit in a terribly uncomfortable position.

"It's your fourth piece." The queen deadpans, her arms now crossed as she looks disapprovingly at the other woman.

"You can't really blame me, you know, it's really, really good." She grins as she says this, though her fingers seem incapable of keeping still as they twine with one another nervously. If it weren't for the fact that they share a son who shares this very habit, she may not have taken much notice of it. However, they do indeed share a son, and such fidgeting is a clear indication of not only nerves, but fear. It's an action Henry had been prone to since he was fairly young, one she had witnessed on many a late night following a nightmare or during a storm. It's because of this that she realizes that there's more to the numerous servings and pointless conversations of the night - the Savior does not want to spend the night alone. Perhaps it's because it's a new home, or perhaps there's more to it, either way, the queen doesn't spend much longer to ponder it, instead making a decision she never would have expected of herself.

She lets out a long sigh and then, "but I suppose you have a point, there would be little accomplished in moving him, he's quite the deep sleeper, after all." Emma perks up at this, her fingers ceasing their movement, but before she can say anything, the mayor continues. "He may spend the night. I suspect he will want to spend the day working on his new room, anyhow."

"Really?" she almost sounds like a child with the amount of enthusiasm she manages to insert into that one little word and it almost makes the brunette smile. Almost. What she does instead is nod curtly. "Are you sure?" and the strange thing is that while she's asking this of the queen, it's the question itself that shows a great deal of uncertainty.

Regina decides not to goad her on, for some inconceivable reason, and instead nods once more. It makes the Sheriff smile so incredibly brightly that the only way the mayor can possibly downplay the warmth it emits within herself is to excuse the gesture, as though she is doing out of convenience rather than kindness. "I am. It will certainly save me from the rude awakening he would surely provide me with come morning. Operation Neighbors, or whatever name he's given this little ploy, has clearly had its success. I'm simply allowing you the full weight of his ill-tempered excitement which is sure to return once he wakes."

Anyone else would likely have been put off by her statement, completely convinced of her disregard for them. Emma Swan isn't anyone else, however, and she is most certainly not fooled if her knowing smirk is anything to go by. She doesn't call the older woman out on it, though, which in itself says... well, something. They remain as they are for a long moment, silently staring into one another's eyes. The brunette is so lost in it that she doesn't even notice the smile that has found its way onto her own lips.

The moment is broken eventually, of course, and by none other than Regina Mills who clears her throat and averts her eyes, looking instead to the figure of their sleeping son. "Well," she says at last, eyes glued to that precious boy as she speaks, "goodnight Miss Swan."

"Emma." the other woman corrects, her voice much softer than likely intended.

The older woman returns her gaze to the blonde then, a small smile as she nods ever so slightly and says the other woman's name in a voice so soft it almost feels foreign. She kneels down to press a kiss to her son's cheek before standing once more. She then makes her way to the door, and Emma, unwilling to allow the night to end just yet, decides to follow.

The sheriff quickens her pace just enough to reach the door before the brunette. She unlocks it and pulls it open for the other woman. Regina manages to school her features to hide her surprise at the act, having not expected Emma to follow her out, but Emma notices it nonetheless. She nods in thanks but just as she takes a step outside she feels a hand on her shoulder. She turns in question only to be met with a watery smile and a quiet "thank you." She doesn't quite know how to respond to that, isn't even sure she should, so all she does is offer a tentative smile of her own before turning back around and heading home.

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><p>Henry had indeed spent the following day with his birth mother, excitedly working on his brand new room and offering his opinions on the rest of the house. He had surprised his brunette mother by coming home for dinner, which he had spent the entirety of talking about the house across the street. She didn't mind. It was actually quite nice to see her son so excited about something again, and for him to actually share it with her, well, that was the added bonus. His company didn't last long though, soon after dinner he had washed up, packed a few bags, kissed her on the cheek and run back over to his new home. She had allowed him to spend the next few nights with his blonde mother, having spent her alone time sorting things at work and tending to her garden. It was lonely, but it was nothing new. She had spied a few cars come and go over those days, the Charmings and other townsfolk undoubtedly visiting to satisfy their curiosity.<p>

About a week later, the new home sorted as much as possible, her son returned home. His happiness was so palpable that she couldn't even scold him when he ran to his room without cleaning the dishes. The day after that, she had paid a visit to the Sheriff's Station in order to discuss Henry's new schedule. The visit was accompanied with the same volume of tension as all their previous meetings in that particular building. It was an entirely different atmosphere when compared to the night of apple pie, hot cocoa and mindless chatter, but it was their normative relationship and so felt more natural than any onlookers would have believed.

Three weeks pass, over which Henry manages to adjust to his new living schedule quite well. He comes home exhausted, something typical of a Friday afternoon. It's some sort of phenomena that make Fridays the most exhausting of the school week. He's excited upon his return, despite the exhaustion, looking forward to the weekend with his birth mother. As it turns, the other woman had promised him some sort of outing that included swimming and other such activities. The mayor thinks to herself that perhaps she should invest more in her weekends with the boy, if the ones spent at his other home were going to be this loaded on a regular basis. She wants him to be happy, always, but weekends have always seemed the time for simplicity to her. They had always spent their Saturdays indulging in special dinners with desserts she would not normally allow followed by a movie or two.

She's shaken from her thoughts when a disgruntled Henry plops down on the bottom of the stairs.

"What is it, dear?" she asks, noting his sullen features.

"She's late." he replies bluntly, accompanied by another huff.

She pulls out her phone to see that the Sheriff is indeed late, by a full hour. She hadn't noticed, somehow. It seems that time has been escaping her as of late, but only when related to her son, and sometimes, his other mother. She doesn't allow herself to spend much time analyzing that fact, of course, knowing she might not particularly like the answer. She checks her phone and finds there are no awaiting messages, meaning there has yet to be an explanation to the younger woman's tardiness. Though the lack of messages also manages to be reassuring, knowing that as mayor, any real emergencies would be brought to her attention immediately.

"She's likely held back dealing with one of that incompetent dwarf's drunken acts, or some such idiocy, and has forgotten that she possesses a phone to be used to notify those waiting for her in such circumstances." She reassures him, "She'll be here."

Henry nods in response, a sliver of a smile gracing his features, but before he can say anything, his stomach does the talking for him. He blushes and looks up at his mother to which she simply shakes her head.

"Come along then, we might as well make dinner." She makes her way to the kitchen, but when she fails to hear him follow, she turns to look at him and adds "Together." That gets him off his feet and she turns back to continue her walk to the kitchen, her son trailing behind her.

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><p><em><strong>AN: **Sorry about the ending, the dinner shall continue into the next chapter, promise. Emma shall appear and things shall progress :) I will likely continue to skip things and sum them up so that this moves along nicely enough. I wanna get us to some Swan Queen! If there's anything you want to see happen, pop it in the reviews or PM me and I'll consider it. Thanks for reading!_


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